The events of Freedom Summer – when hundreds of volunteers descended on Mississippi in June 1964 with the goal of registering to vote as many of the state's African-American voters as they could – changed the course of American history, not just "black history". As such, it should be honored by all Americans, and not just African-Americans.

Unfortunately, the anniversaries of the watershed moments of the civil rights movement are not embraced as thoroughly by white people in America as they are by black people, despite the reality that these events have benefited us all. This is, in part, because the positive role of white Americans and their partnership with the African-American leaders of the era are often swept under the rug by too many who would like to forget, or others who choose to take comfort in the few heroes we can all remember.

So this year, for the 50th anniversary, perhaps Freedom Summer can have another legacy: as a reminder to the entire country of what is possible when black and white people come together to form a more perfect union.

The efforts of the volunteers of "Freedom Summer", both black and white, were an extraordinary moment in the civil rights movement. Their work to register black Mississippians to vote were met with resistance from many of the state's white residents, and the enterprise was marred by violence almost from the outset, including when three civil rights workers who disappeared were later found buried in an earthen dam, murdered.

Though it's a celebrated moment in "black history", the overwhelming majority of Freedom Summer volunteers were, in fact, white and from the North – including two of the three murdered civil rights workers, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who lost their lives along with James Chaney. The foot soldiers were black and white, and many of them returned to Mississippi this month to commemorate their collective work that was instrumental in making the case for the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which gave federal protections to minorities at the ballot box in states with a history of discriminatory voting practices.

Casting the civil rights movement in general, and Freedom Summer in particular, purely along racial lines – with white Americans playing the villains and black Americans as the victims – is inaccurate and leaves little room for white Americans to take ownership of the multiplicity of their roles in this part in our nation's history. White people were not solely "the racists", and while black leaders like Martin Luther King Jr, Congressman John Lewis and others were among the more high-profile protagonists, it is worth taking a look at who was standing just beyond the spotlight. Too often, the movement is recast in our modern memory as racially uniform – helped along by iconic, grainy black-and-white footage featuring mainly black leaders as the ones working for change.

And, after years of celebrating our history when few others would, some black Americans have fallen into the habit of fiercely claiming the civil rights movement as our sole birthright. But black people can no longer be designated – even amongst ourselves – as the only citizens who care about this history: white people, too, must participate, and join in this dialogue.

A shining example of what is possible when inclusivity is central to the approach is the new National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. The center, which opened last week as part of Freedom Summer commemorations, is the culmination of years of collaboration among a diverse group committed to recounting the city's role in the civil rights era – and to expanding the conversation around equality and justice in America and around the globe. The center is already attracting visitors of all backgrounds to learn about the civil rights movement and its contribution to the global struggle against oppression.

One way to continue to encourage this kind of inclusion is to seek out the stories of white Americans from this era – and not just the more familiar tales already known to many Americans. Human nature dictates that people relate to others who share similar characteristics and, in this country, skin color is still a trait that helps people identify with each other. Knowing white people were also invested in a more equal society – and hearing it from those who worked to bring about such a country while they are still with us – is crucial to reframing the easy narrative of a race-based battle between good and evil.

It is not, however, the responsibility of black Americans to make white Americans feel comfortable with this history. Rather, it is time for white Americans to simultaneously own their role in the ugly parts of segregation and be proud of those who were on the right side of history.

Freedom Summer, because of its display of a diverse coalition of Americans working together to change the country, provides a way to move forward together, by creating a space for the dialogue that frees us all.